Cornell University
Constructing and Visualizing Topographic Profiles
Militaries throughout history have used topography information to plan strategies, yet many pupils today don't understand it. Scholars use Legos and a contour gauge to understand how to construct and visualize topographic profiles. This...
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MAPPING THE TOPOGRAPHY OF UNKNOWN SURFACES
Students describe in words and graphic displays the elevation or depression profile of sections of Mars' Olympus Mons and/or Valles Marineris. They explain how orbiting spacecraft build up global maps one data slice at a time.
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MAPS AND TOPOGRAPHY
Students analyze the details of a topographic map and create one of their own by utilyzing a map of elevations.
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Climb Every Volcano
Students use a contour map to distinguish the elevation of a volcano. In this volcano lesson, students use styrofoam to create the contour of their map. Students glue and assemble their volcano. Students compare and contrast their...
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It'll Go With the Flow...
Students construct a water table elevation contour map and consider the direction and rate of groundwater flow to predict the actual runoff pattern. They discuss their findings and evaluate a hypothetical landfill site based on data...
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Landforms
For this landform review worksheet, students use 17 provided terms to complete a paragraph about different landforms. After filling in the blanks, they name 4 kinds of mountains and provide examples of each.
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Upstream And Downstream
Students gain an understanding of how elevation affects the flow of water. They discuss issues that can arise when residents and industries upstream pollute or irrigate a river, in opposition to those downstream. They role play opposing...
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Red River Contours
For this contour map worksheet, students use a given contour map to answer 16 questions about the area shown on the map. Topics include the gradient from one spot to another, the elevation, the direction of the flow of the Red River, the...
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Pilots, Airplanes, and the Tangent of Three Degrees
High schoolers explore how to use trigonometry in the aviation field. In this aviation lesson plan students complete trigonometry equations that show what planes should do to land their airplanes.
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No Magic Borders: Haleakala Style
Students discuss borders and boundaries. They discuss pollution and the fact that boundaries cannot stop pollution and that pollution affects even protected wildlife and plants. They participate in an activity in which they must place...
Science Matters
Slip Sliding Along
The San Andreas Fault is the largest earthquake-producing fault in California. In the seventh lesson in the 20 part series, pupils create maps of California, focusing on the San Andreas Fault system. The comparison of where California is...
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Oregon Rainshadows
Students brainstorm list of possible highest locations in Oregon, identify and label places from list on map using color code, and discuss and identify causes of a rain shadow.
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Hottest, Coldest, Highest, Deepest: Science, 4th Grade
Fourth graders investigate weather patterns in their home state of Utah. After creating KWL charts, they research weather and geographical data to locate the state's extremes. As an extension, 4th graders write and illustrate books about...
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Geography Terms
Students identify different landforms and fill out a worksheet where they explain what each landform is. In this geography lesson plan, students fill in a landform map and then use landform words as they describe the landforms.
Michigan Sea Grant
Exploring Watersheds
Collaboratively, students partake in a hands-on activity in which they build models of a watershed. Each group member draws an elevation map—a bird's eye view—of their model and predicts how water will flow from the high to low points....
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Soil Conservation
Students examine soil conservation. In this agricultural management lesson, students study how to use good practices for soil conservation. They discuss the Dust Bowl and poor land management from the 1940's to infer how we can be better...
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Production of the Lunar Relief Map Project
Middle schoolers replicate the lunar surface. In this mapping skills lesson, students study the topography of the moon. Middle schoolers then use craft materials to create topographic maps of the lunar surface where the Eagle landed.
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Build the Taiga: Hands on Biome-Building
Students explore environmental awareness by completing a construction project. In this biomes lesson, students identify the different elements for life to thrive in an ecosystem. Students utilize a cardboard or wood box to create a biome...
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Hands On Biome-Building
Students create a desert biome to understand the abiotic and biotic factors of that biome. In this desert biome lesson plan, students include elevation, precipitation, temperature, plants, and more.
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What is a Watershed?
Students create a classroom size model of a landscape to define the concept of a river watersheds. They spread crumbled newspapers around the floor to simulate different elevations then cover the whole landscape with a sheet. They pour...
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Carving Mountains
Learners explore geography by participating in an illustration activity. In this land-form lesson, students define vocabulary terms associated with glaciers and forests. Learners utilize pens, cardboard and pottery clay to draw and...
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Working With Electronic Topography Maps
Junior geologists examine topographic maps online and learn how to read them. they answer seven associated follow-up questions. This lesson plan is only a general outline and does not provide the details or the websites that you would...
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Rain Drops Keep Falin' On My Drainage Basin
Students compile information about rainfall, lake elevations and releases of water from Tuttle Creek reservoir into maps, graphs and charts.
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Beyond the Tap
Students explain the basic properties of a watershed including how water flows from higher to lower elevations and how watersheds are interconnected. They comprehend how the placement of buildings, roads, and parking lots can be...